Flora of North America species comparison

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Senecio sylvaticus

Senecio lemmonii

heath groundsel, wood groundsel, woodland groundsel, woodland ragwort

Lemmon's groundsel, Lemmon's ragwort
Habit Annuals, (15–)30–80+ cm (taproots fibrous-rooted). Subshrubs (monocarpic?), (10–)20–100 cm (taproots woody).
Herbage

puberulent (hairs abundant, curly).

glabrous or with tufts of white hairs in leaf axils.
Stems

single.

usually 1 (branching distally, unevenly reddish, usually somewhat lax).
Leaves

evenly distributed; petiolate;

blades obovate to oblong, 3–7(–12) × 1–3(–4) cm, usually 1–2-pinnate, bases tapered, ultimate margins dentate (distal leaves similar, clasping, bractlike).

evenly distributed; petiolate (proximal) or sessile;

blades lanceolate to lance-linear, 3–10+ × (0.5–)1–2 cm, bases tapered (or auriculate), margins (sometimes revolute) unevenly dentate to subentire (mid and distal leaves similar, smaller, bases expanded, ± truncate to cordate, clasping).
Ray florets

0 or 1–8+;

corolla laminae usually 1–2+ mm (barely surpassing phyllaries).

usually ± 8 or ± 13, rarely 0;

corolla laminae 8–10 mm.
Phyllaries

± 13 (± 21), 4–7+ mm, tips greenish or minutely black.

± 21, (4–)5–8 mm, tips often with minute black dots.
Calyculi

0 or of 1–5+ linear to filiform bractlets.

of 3–5+ linear to subulate bractlets (to 1.5 mm).
Heads

12–24 in corymbiform arrays.

4–12 in loose, corymbiform arrays.
Cypselae

hairy (especially on angles).

hairy.
2n

= 40.

Senecio sylvaticus

Senecio lemmonii
Phenology Flowering late spring–summer (northern areas of cool, climate); winter (southern areas). Flowering late winter–early summer.
Habitat Mildly disturbed woodlands, open, sandy sites Rocky sites in deserts
Elevation 100–300 m (300–1000 ft) 500–1000 m (1600–3300 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; LA; MA; MI; NJ; OH; OR; PA; WA; WI; BC; NB; NF; NS; PE; QC; Eurasia [Introduced in North America]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; Mexico
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Senecio sylvaticus is a Eurasian weed that favors cool, wet climates. It is well established in coastal areas of the Pacific Coast and in parts of Newfoundland and Quebec; elsewhere in the flora, it appears to be sporadic.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Some young or depauperate specimens of Senecio lemmonii from northern Mexico resemble S. californicus, which occurs farther to the west in California and Baja California. Whether or not there is a relationship between the two is undetermined.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 20, p. 563. FNA vol. 20, p. 568.
Parent taxa Asteraceae > tribe Senecioneae > Senecio Asteraceae > tribe Senecioneae > Senecio
Sibling taxa
S. actinella, S. amplectens, S. ampullaceus, S. aphanactis, S. arizonicus, S. aronicoides, S. astephanus, S. atratus, S. bigelovii, S. blochmaniae, S. californicus, S. cannabifolius, S. clarkianus, S. crassulus, S. elegans, S. elmeri, S. eremophilus, S. ertterae, S. erucifolius, S. flaccidus, S. fremontii, S. hydrophiloides, S. hydrophilus, S. integerrimus, S. jacobaea, S. lemmonii, S. lugens, S. lyonii, S. megacephalus, S. mohavensis, S. multidentatus, S. neowebsteri, S. parryi, S. pattersonensis, S. pseudoarnica, S. pudicus, S. quaylei, S. rapifolius, S. riddellii, S. sacramentanus, S. scorzonella, S. serra, S. sheldonensis, S. soldanella, S. spartioides, S. sphaerocephalus, S. spribillei, S. squalidus, S. taraxacoides, S. triangularis, S. viscosus, S. vulgaris, S. warnockii, S. wootonii
S. actinella, S. amplectens, S. ampullaceus, S. aphanactis, S. arizonicus, S. aronicoides, S. astephanus, S. atratus, S. bigelovii, S. blochmaniae, S. californicus, S. cannabifolius, S. clarkianus, S. crassulus, S. elegans, S. elmeri, S. eremophilus, S. ertterae, S. erucifolius, S. flaccidus, S. fremontii, S. hydrophiloides, S. hydrophilus, S. integerrimus, S. jacobaea, S. lugens, S. lyonii, S. megacephalus, S. mohavensis, S. multidentatus, S. neowebsteri, S. parryi, S. pattersonensis, S. pseudoarnica, S. pudicus, S. quaylei, S. rapifolius, S. riddellii, S. sacramentanus, S. scorzonella, S. serra, S. sheldonensis, S. soldanella, S. spartioides, S. sphaerocephalus, S. spribillei, S. squalidus, S. sylvaticus, S. taraxacoides, S. triangularis, S. viscosus, S. vulgaris, S. warnockii, S. wootonii
Synonyms S. decorticans
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 868. (1753) A. Gray: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 17: 220. (1882)
Web links 
Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).



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